World premiere by Maine playwright Tucker Atwood

BELFAST – The Belfast Maskers are pleased to announce auditions for our second show of the 2022 season. Auditions for the world premiere of “Dance Again”, written and directed by local playwright Tucker Atwood, are Thursday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. Auditions will be held at the Basil Burwell Community Theater at 17 Court Street.

Tucker Atwood is from Embden and has lived in Belfast for about two years now. He graduated from UMF in 2017 with a degree in secondary education and mathematics and has taught at a few schools, but his other passions for writing and theater are what brought him here. Besides plays, he has also written a few books, including one about his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and another about his thru-ride of the East Coast Greenway. Tucker says “my play ‘Dance Again’ was written in late 2019 and early 2020 in the midst of several real snow storms and dance parties”.

Synopsis of “Dance Again” –

In the midst of an endless war, a snowstorm forces soldiers from each side to seek refuge from a sweet husband and wife who live on the border of the two nations. As they attempt to keep the soldiers from realizing they are enemies, it becomes clear that this unassuming couple has more involvement with the war than expected.

Casting requirements: six men, two women (ages are approximate)

Billy – 50’s-60’s. A caring and lively man, married to Helen. He was once a soldier but now lives a simpler life. He has seen plenty of bad in the world, but is somehow still optimistic and generally carefree. He loves telling stories.

Helen – 50’s to 60’s. A thoughtful and compassionate woman, married to Billy. They met in the war as soldiers when they were younger. She is generally cheerful and upbeat, but gets a bit nervous in dangerous situations.

Major Jack – 30’s to 40’s. A no-nonsense soldier and leader of Dennis and Louie. He considers himself a fighter, but also shows signs of a fun-loving side.

Dennis – 20’s. A quiet, attentive soldier who does not belong in the war. He is Louie’s older brother and is in charge of him.

Louie – late teens to early 20’s. A clumsy, foolish soldier who always finds a way to get hurt.

Major John – 30’s to 40’s. Another no-nonsense soldier and leader of Lucy. Very similar to Major Jack in appearance and personality.

Lucy – 20’s. A reserved, strong willed soldier who also does not belong in the war. She has attempted to escape in the past but has never been able to pull it off.

Simon-20’s-30’s. A deceiving soldier; unaffiliated with the others.

As passionate as the Belfast Maskers are about providing high-quality theatre, we are equally dedicated to ensuring our audiences, casts and crews are as safe as possible while in our facility. To ensure we are offering the safest environment possible for our patrons, actors, and volunteers, the Belfast Maskers will require all auditioners and production team members to show identification and proof of vaccination (at this time, fully vaccinated means two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one dose of J&J).

Everyone must also wear a mask covering their nose and mouth while in the building. Face shields, bandanas, or neck gators are not acceptable face coverings.

All of us at the Belfast Maskers hope we can ease these restrictions once sufficient progress has been made in reducing transmission of the COVID virus. Until then, we appreciate your patience and cooperation.

If you have any questions about this policy or would like more information, please contact:

Meg Nickerson, artistic director, at maskermeg@gmail.com.

Anyone interested in helping on the production team can reach out to Meg directly as well.

The mission of the Belfast Maskers is to provide hands-on opportunities for people of all ages and abilities. Through the performing arts, we continue our long-standing commitment to the enrichment, entertainment and education of our community. The Belfast Maskers is a 501-C3, non-profit organization.